Zack Polanski Rebukes Starmer in Antisemitism Row
zack polanski told a campaign visit in Glasgow on Friday that politicians should treat antisemitism with “consideration, care and nuance,” while accusing Keir Starmer of “playing silly games with a really serious issue.” The Green party leader said the debate over antisemitism has become distorted just as the party faces fresh scrutiny over comments by some candidates and members.
Polanski said, “It’s incumbent on all politicians, particularly the prime minister at this point, to treat antisemitism with the consideration and care and nuance that a really serious issue requires.” He also said there were 4,500 people standing for the party in local elections across England and Wales, and described only a handful of accusations among them.
Glasgow remarks
Starmer had accused Polanski of playing down recent antisemitic incidents after speaking on a visit to a synagogue, and called him disgraceful. Polanski pushed back by saying it was important to distinguish between an actual threat to the Jewish community in the UK after recent arson attacks and the perception of unsafety.
He said, “In terms of the weaponisation, it’s important to have absolute clarity that antisemitism definitely exists, and sometimes people will say things that are antisemitic.” Polanski added that some reported comments described as antisemitic were “absolutely not antisemitic” and were pro-Palestinian instead.
Green party scrutiny
The exchange comes as the Greens face increasing scrutiny over recent comments by some candidates and members. Some Green members and officials told they were concerned about the recent arrival of members who are vehemently anti-Israel to an extent that crosses into antisemitism.
Polanski said the issue had been weaponised when he discussed his earlier criticism of Jeremy Corbyn. He said false allegations of antisemitism, or blurring the line between challenging the Israeli government and antisemitism, made him feel less safe and left him feeling held accountable for a country he does not believe has anything to do with his Jewish identity.
September membership rise
Polanski also said the Greens had almost quadrupled in membership since he became leader in September. He added that there was a worrying rise of antisemitism in the country, alongside a rise of Islamophobia and hate crime generally. The pressure on the party is now landing on a leadership that has to answer both for the conduct of individual candidates and for how it handles accusations tied to Israel, antisemitism and pro-Palestinian speech.
